Cooking Up Recipes Created by Our Ancestors

Between today and Wednesday, my genealogy column, Roots to the Past, is available in the following Atlantic Canada newspapers:

Saturday: The Citizen (Amherst)

Saturday: Times & Transcript (Moncton)

Wednesday: The Lunenburg County Progress Bulletin (Lunenburg County)

Title: Cooking Up Recipes Created by Our Ancestors

Snippet: Baking is not strictly a winter activity, but I do tend to bake more often during the cool months as oppose to the warm months. I guess it’s because I have more inside time, and it feels cosy to have the kitchen warmed by something delicious baking in the oven. So this time of year, with the temperatures dropping, I look for new recipes to try.

Let me clarify that. I look for new-to-me recipes from days gone by to experiment with. Recipes created and used by our ancestors in previous centuries is where I’ve found several of my best recipes, including one for chocolate cake. I found it in a publication from the early 1900s. With a few modifications, it is now the family favourite.

My hunt for old recipes this year led me to What’s Cooking? Food, Drink and the Pleasures of Eating in Old-time Nova Scotia (http://novascotia.ca/archives/cooking). As I scanned the sections, my eyes popped when I saw Moirs Limited Recipes. My first thought was the local Moirs plant I visited years ago to get chocolates considered seconds or spoils. My mouth began to water, and I clicked to learn more. Would I find recipes that would allow me to make my own tasty treats?